Great American Pop Report: Frivolous plagiarism lawsuits are ruining the music industry

Great American Pop Report: Frivolous plagiarism lawsuits are ruining the music industry

WATCH: Fetty Wap's getting sued for "Trap Queen," but no matter what the verdict is, frivolous plagiarism laws are ruining the music industry.

Fetty Wap - Trap Queen (Official Video) Prod. By Tony Fadd

Claiming he owns the beat used in the quadruple-platinum hit, a Danish musician named Lazar Lakic filed a lawsuit against Fetty late last month. And Fetty's just the latest to face a legal battle over who owns what in the music industry. ("Trap Queen" music video contains some content NSFW.)

Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines VS Marvin Gaye - Got to Give it Up

In August, 212 artists challenged a ruling that claimed Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" ripped off Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give it Up," resulting in a $5.3 million fine. These industry experts think Thicke's hit is just an homage and/or get that anyone recording a soul song can be sued for the same reason.

Song Similarities - Taurus - Stairway to Heaven - Mix Attempt

Even Led Zeppelin had to endure a legal battle to fight claims that the iconic intro to "Stairway to Heaven" was plagiarized from Spirit's 1968 song "Taurus." While there is a resemblance, Led Zeppelin ultimately won the case in June.

Vanilla Ice denies ripping off Queen and David Bowie's Under Pressure

Unless it's something as blatant as Vanilla Ice's permission-less rip off of Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure," we'd prefer artists have the freedom to be inspired by previous songs record music without fear of a lawsuit.